Udaipur known as the City of Lakes is famous for its marble places, beautiful gardens
and blue lakes, hemmed in by the lush hills of the Aravalis. Udaipur is the jewel
of Mewar a kingdom ruled by the Sisodia dynasty for 1200 years. The lakeside city
palace is perhaps the biggest of its kind in Rajasthan, dominating the area with
its imposing architecture. Next to the city palace, the Jagdish temple is known
in Udaipur for its exceptional stone carvings, while both the Sajjangarh Fort and
the Neemach Mata Temple offers some quite awesome views. Of the original eleven
gates, only five are remaining. The Suraj polar sun gate on the eastern side is
the main entrance to the city. Rajasthan is brimming with a whole heap of quality
attractions, and so many tourists choose to base themselves in Udaipur and take
full advantage of the Indian sights.
Jaisamand Lake is one to add to your list of
places to visit and this man-made lake is located alongside the very family friendly
Jaisamand Wildlife Sanctuary. Also near to Udaipur are the spectacular perimeter
walls of the Kumbhalgarh Fort, which really is of epic proportions. Don't miss a
day trip to Mount Abu, or to the giant temple complex within Ranakpur. Further long-distance
transport connects cities such as Jaisalmer. Udaipur is situated 1900 feet about
the sea level in the Aravali Hills. This beautiful city was founded by Maharaja
Udai Singh in 1559 A.D. and is named after him. One of the most romantic cities
in Rajasthan, Udaipur is also known as the city of lakes. The marble palaces, beautifully laid out gardens and the lakes make Udaipur seem almost like a mirage in the desert.
Within the large city of Udaipur, tourists will find a number of quality museums,
offering information about everything from Rajasthani archaeology to tribal life
and folk arts. The neighboring Ahar Archaeological Museum stands out and resides
on the outskirts of Udaipur. Within the city palace itself are a number of worthwhile
museums, such as the Government Museum, where you will find portraits showing some
of Udaipur's larger-than-life maharajas, dressed in extravagant clothing and sporting
huge moustaches. The city palace museum itself is on hand and contains some very
impressive mosaic peacocks. The Maharana built a small shrine, Dhuni Mata, to mark
the spot which is now the oldest part of the city palace. Udai Singh chose the site
of Udaipur for his new capital and built an artificial lake named Udai Sagar after
himself. Udai Singh further extended this pond and created one of the most picturesque
manmade lakes in Rajasthan. The Rana named it Pichola after the neighboring village
of Picholi. His new capital was established when in 1559 he built a small palace,
Nochouki, on an overlooking ridge. Other buildings and structures soon mushroomed
around the palace. With successive generations the marble and granite palace of
the Rana spread out, always allowing an architectural excellence quite unique to
the Mewar dynasty. Around the very edge of Lake Pichola are a series of striking
marble temples and other structures, in the lake itself the aptly named Lake palace
is enormous and currently operates one of the world's most luxurious hotels. Tourism
information in Udaipur comes in the form of the well-equipped Tourist reception
centre, which resides within the Fateh Memorial Building Boat rides depart regularly
from the jetty next to the City palace and transport passengers to Pichola's further
island of Jagmandir. Fateh Sagar Lake is another notable tourist attraction in Udaipur
and its garden island of Nehru is nothing short of an exotic paradise. Families
will always enjoy spending time at the Gulab Bagh Zoo, next to Lake Pichola, where
Indian tigers and other exotic animals can be observed.
If we take a look at the historical background of the city the founder Maharana
Udai Singh, overcome the misfortune that his old capital Chittorgarh had to face.
Repeatedly sacked by the Mughal armies, the fort saw some very fierce battles in
1567; the army of Emperor Akbar sacked the fort and forced Udai Singh to seek refuge
in the surrounding Aravali hills. Udai Singh sought the advice of a holy man and
then went building this city on the banks of Pichola Lake. Very serene and romantic
Indian city, Udaipur has been shaped by commercial tourism in recent years. Although
it still manages to retain much of its earlier charm, Udaipur once known as Mewar
is the land that produced a galaxy of patriots and heroes in quick succession, people
who etched the name of Rajasthan in every corner of the world. The Mewar dynasty
traces its roots to the sun god. Its history has been a continuous struggle for
freedom of religion, thought and land against other Rajput groups as well as the
overbearing Mughals and Muslims of bygone eras. Its act of patriotism, heroism,
magnanimous behavior and love for independence can never find any match in the annals
of any country.